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AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - One-in-100-million white lobster named Casper joins Maine research effort on rare shell colors

A ghostly white lobster so rare that only one in every 100 million lobsters shares its coloring is now helping University of New England researchers crack the genetic code behind the species' most unusual shell colors. The lobster, named Casper, arrived at UNE's Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center in Biddeford, Maine, after the Maine […] The post One-in-100-million white lobster named Casper joins Maine research effort on rare shell colors appeared first on American Almanac .

A ghostly white lobster so rare that only one in every 100 million lobsters shares its coloring is now helping University of New England researchers crack the genetic code behind the species' most unusual shell colors. The lobster, named Casper, arrived at UNE's Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center in Biddeford, Maine, after the Maine State Aquarium in Boothbay donated the animal to a research project launched in 2024. UNE calls white lobsters "the rarest among the unusual color variations found in the species," and Casper is now the crown specimen in a growing collection of oddly colored American lobsters that includes orange, blue, purple, yellow, calico, and split-colored animals. Markus Frederich, a marine sciences professor who…Open

Why is understanding the genetics of rare lobster coloration scientifically significant?
Understanding these mechanisms can explain how shell color affects a lobster's ability to camouflage from predators and may provide insights into pigment biology across various crustacean species.
Q&A ID 1710cc28-cef5-4add-a2cb-ac3fbb5c9002
How do the researchers at the University of New England ensure that the lobsters are not harmed during the genetic research?
The project uses non-invasive techniques to collect and analyze genetic material, ensuring that no harm comes to the lobsters.
Q&A ID db12c7aa-6433-4f97-88f6-fa71d90e62f0
What happened to the multicolored offspring of the lobster Peaches on May 12, 2025?
On May 12, 2025, Markus Frederich released Peaches' multicolored baby lobsters at Ram Island to return them to the wild.
Q&A ID 23ed449b-c53e-462c-a3d9-f33b62d83208
How does the rarity of Casper compare to the orange lobster named Peaches?
Casper is much rarer with a 1 in 100 million chance of occurrence, whereas Peaches, an orange lobster, has odds of approximately one in 30 million.
Q&A ID 76864f1a-5f59-4c1d-a29a-26a7a7d92af6
What are some of the other rare lobster colors included in the UNE collection alongside Casper?
The collection includes orange, blue, purple, yellow, calico, and split-colored animals. Specific specimens mentioned include Peaches (orange), Currant (blue-and-orange), and Fig (purple).
Q&A ID 98e54b12-61eb-4f1e-b04f-09e2a9771a26
Who is leading the research project at UNE's Invertebrate Physiology Lab and what is the primary focus of the genetic analysis?
Markus Frederich, a marine sciences professor who directs the lab, leads the project. The team is analyzing more than 15,000 genes to find differences in gene expression that produce unusual shell colors.
Q&A ID adea09c4-cfa8-4990-bf70-5dad618c82a8
Where is Casper currently located for research purposes, and who donated the lobster to the project?
Casper is located at the University of New England's (UNE) Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center in Biddeford, Maine, after being donated by the Maine State Aquarium in Boothbay.
Q&A ID 745d81f9-9375-4b55-8d64-655cb451d259
What is the name of the white lobster that is helping University of New England researchers study rare shell colors, and how rare is its coloring?
The lobster is named Casper, and its ghostly white coloring is so rare that only one in every 100 million lobsters shares it.
Q&A ID c30ae33e-8135-4b20-9810-95e437ca874b
Keywordslobstermainecasperwhite-lobstermarine-biologyoceanographyuniversity-of-new-englandgeneticssciencenaturewildlifecrustaceanbiodiversitybiologyanimal-behaviorresearchmarine-lifemaine-state-aquariumbiddefordusaoceanecosystemdiscoveryanimal-rescueecologypigmentgene-expressionsea

AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Antarctic krill found at deep-sea volcanic vents for the first time, raising new questions about ocean life

Scientists discovered egg-laden Antarctic krill thriving nearly 3,600 feet below the surface at hydrothermal vents, a finding that upends long-held assumptions about one of the ocean's most important creatures. A research team operating a remotely piloted submarine off the Antarctic Peninsula in late 2024 spotted the tiny crustaceans drifting through superheated water near a volcanic […] The post Antarctic krill found at deep-sea volcanic vents for the first time, raising new questions about ocean life appeared first on American Almanac .

Scientists discovered egg-laden Antarctic krill thriving nearly 3,600 feet below the surface at hydrothermal vents, a finding that upends long-held assumptions about one of the ocean's most important creatures. A research team operating a remotely piloted submarine off the Antarctic Peninsula in late 2024 spotted the tiny crustaceans drifting through superheated water near a volcanic vent on the seafloor, a place no one expected to find them. The four krill collected were all reproductive females, packed with eggs and apparently feeding on microbes unique to the vent site. The discovery, published in the journal Communications Biology, marks the first confirmed observation of Antarctic krill at a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. The finding…Open

Keywordsantarcticakrilloceanmarine-biologyhydrothermal-ventsdeep-seasciencebiologyecosystemsouthern-oceanvolcanic-ventsmarine-lifewildlifeoceanographydiscoveryresearchnational-geographicoregon-state-universityuc-santa-bartacommunications-biologyenvironmentbiodiversitymarine-ecologykrill-populationocean-researchdeep-oceanmarine-protectionscientific-discovery

YOUTUBE (CNN) - Inside a French Polynesian coral garden with over 21,000 corals

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In the turquoise waters of Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Coral Gardeners are growing thousands of corals in underwater nurseries before planting them back onto damaged reefs, as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. CNN's Bijan Hosseini dives in to see how it works. #calltoearth #perpetualplanetinitiative

Keywordscoral-reefsmarine-biologyoceannatureconservationfrench-polynesiascienceecologycoral-gardenersrolexmarine-lifebiodiversitysustainabilityenvironment

NYTIMES (Ishani Desai) - As Millions of Birds Migrate, Residents Are Asked to Turn Off the Lights

Birds are drawn to lights, and more than a billion die each year after crashing into buildings, experts said.

Keywordsbirdsmigrationwildlifeenvironmentecologynatureconservationornithologyurban-wildlifeavianny-timesenvironmentalistclimate-changeanimal-behaviorbiodiversitybiologyenvironmental-scienceecologyurban-ecologyclimateweathernycnew-york-cityconservation-effortswildlife-protectionnature-loversbird-migrationurban-environmentenvironmental-protectionecology

YOUTUBE (MS NOW) - ‘I don’t know where this stops’: Trump’s border wall decimates indigenous land

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For the Tohono O’odham Nation, the indigenous inhabitants of southwestern Arizona, the giant saguaro cacti are considered people. Contractors building Trump’s border wall are uprooting them, destroying many other sacred sites and crucial biodiversity along the way. “A bulldozer can destroy in minutes what it took the Sonoran Desert hundreds of years to create,” said Russ McSpadden of the Center for Biological Diversity.

Keywordstrumpborder-wallimmigrationborder-securityarizonaindigenous-rightsnational-securityconservationenvironmentalismbig-bendmexicoland-rightsdhscbptrump-administrationtohono-odham-nationdesertbiodiversitysouthwestfederal-government

AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach hatches seven African penguin chicks in banner breeding year

A South Carolina aquarium is calling it the "Lucky Seven" after hatching seven critically endangered African penguin chicks since May, a bright spot for a species running out of time in the wild. Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach announced that five African penguin chicks hatched in June and July, following two earlier arrivals in May, […] The post Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach hatches seven African penguin chicks in banner breeding year appeared first on American Almanac .

A South Carolina aquarium is calling it the "Lucky Seven" after hatching seven critically endangered African penguin chicks since May, a bright spot for a species running out of time in the wild. Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach announced that five African penguin chicks hatched in June and July, following two earlier arrivals in May, UPI reported . The aquarium's animal care team collectively dubbed the group "the Lucky Seven" in a news release marking the milestone. The first two chicks, named Vic and Chel, arrived in May and were introduced to guests at the aquarium's Penguin Playhouse exhibit. Five more followed over the next two months. Those five had not yet been named as of the September 3 announcement. Seven chicks from one…Open

Keywordsafrican-penguinpenguinwildlifeconservationendangered-speciesanimal-welfareripleys-aquariummyrtle-beachsouth-carolinanaturebiologyscienceaquariumanimal-hatchingzoo-newsmarine-lifebirdsecosystembiodiversityanimal-conservation

ABCNEWS (ABC News: Top Stories) - WATCH: Nat Geo’s 'Moment on the Earth' spotlights the shaggy sea hare

National Geographic’s Photo Ark spotlights a ragged sea hare, or shaggy sea hare, as it celebrates 20 years of documenting biodiversity and inspiring wildlife conservation.

Keywordsnational-geographicwildlifeconservationmarine-lifeoceanseabiologyscienceshaggy-sea-harenatureanimal-behavioranimalsabc-newsusaamericacaliforniaadventuretraveltourismenvironmentbiodiversityanimal-rescuemarine-biologynatural-history

AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - More than 2,000 ocean predators spotted off Cape Cod — weeks after feds reopened the waters to commercial fishing

Scientists captured more than 2,000 marine animals from 15 species feeding together at a protected monument off Massachusetts, raising fresh questions about a federal rollback of fishing restrictions just months earlier. A New England Aquarium survey plane flew over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument on August 16 and documented a scene researchers […] The post More than 2,000 ocean predators spotted off Cape Cod — weeks after feds reopened the waters to commercial fishing appeared first on American Almanac .

Scientists captured more than 2,000 marine animals from 15 species feeding together at a protected monument off Massachusetts, raising fresh questions about a federal rollback of fishing restrictions just months earlier. A New England Aquarium survey plane flew over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument on August 16 and documented a scene researchers called extraordinary: dolphins, whales, whale sharks, and manta rays all congregating near the surface of a nearly 5,000-square-mile ocean preserve roughly 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod. The sheer number of animals, and the presence of several species classified as endangered, landed the survey squarely in the middle of a policy fight that has bounced between…Open

Keywordsatlantic-oceancape-codcommercial-fishingmarine-lifewhalesdolphinswhale-sharksmanta-raysblue-whalesperm-whalesmassachusettsnew-englandocean-conservationfishing-industryenvironmental-policytrumpobamabidenwhite-housenatural-resourcesbiodiversitymarine-biologyeconomyregulationsecosystemwildlifeocean-predatorsmarine-monumentcoastal-economyfishermen